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Tuesday, October 18, 2016

comfortable commonplace

I am a coffee person. OK, I admit it... I'm a coffee snob. (I know. I did say snob, didn't I? Maybe that's too harsh a word, but I couldn't think of anything better to describe how very particular I am about my coffee... so just go with me on this.)

Anyway, my coffee has to be good, hot, fresh ground and just so. I am so picky that I won't drink a bad cup of coffee. No, my coffee has to be good or heads will roll. (OR more realistically, I just won't drink any coffee. Ha ha.)

After many years now, my family has learned my official morning coffee routine. When I get up with the new day, the first thing they do is give me some "Mamma" space until they can identify that I have THE JAVA in hand. Otherwise, I'm just a messy-haired zombie who can't seem to get her groove on in the early a.m. hours. And without my "go juice" secure in hand, this mamba jamba does not do as well as she could in the morning.

To further my coffee campaign, one year Chuck was thoughtful enough to invest in a fancy-schmancy European coffee/espresso machine that does it all. So, all I have to do is push a button and taaa daaaaaa - FRESH GROUND COFFEE just like the fancy coffee houses make. (And the cost is technically cheaper when pro-rating the machine expense and coffee made at home vs. coffee purchased out at a Starbucks or similar establishment. My hubby is so smart!) My dear husband bought the machine for me because he wanted to make sure that his woman started every morning right. And let's face it... for me, one of the best ways to insure my morning is pleasant is to include my yummy, fresh ground cup of coffee! WOO HOO!

With that in mind (and as I sip my low-fat hazelnut latte), I sit here this morning thinking about how we all have our routines... our "basics" that we generally always do each and every morning. For instance, many of us (I hope) shower or bath, brush our teeth, and get dressed each and every morning. It's kind of a given. Right? (Please, please agree. Ha ha.)

In our regular week, some of us check email, pack lunches, eat breakfast, read the newspaper, exercise. Some of us are planners and have everything laid out and scheduled. Some of us are NOT planners and are always rushed to get to work or drive our kids to school. Some of us wake up naturally refreshed. Some of us drag our feet while debating if we should ever leave the warmth of our beds. (Author's side note: Lord, thank you for giving us warm beds!) Anyway, these are the routine things we just "do"... we don't usually think too deeply about them. They are simply part of how we live... comfortable and commonplace to our lives.

The same should hold true to our seeking God each and every morning. When the Lord tells us in Romans 13:14 to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, He means for us to seek His views and interests and imitate Him in all things. We are to seek God like Jesus did - clothing ourselves with His word each day.

Admittedly, I find it interesting that the call to seek God each morning is always so much more challenging than taking time to make my coffee... or shower, get dressed, etc. In my morning, it seems like there is always limited time and/or something seemingly more important than my notching out a quiet place and pausing to pray, meditate and memorize key verses of scripture. Yet, that is precisely the discipline that Jesus shows us in Mark 1:35. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

Read some passages with me...

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (Psalm 5:3)

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 59:16)

But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you. (Psalm 88:13)

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14)

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul (Psalm 143:8)

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. (Isaiah 33:2)

The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. (Isaiah 50:4)

I could keep going because there are soooo many examples in scripture showing us why it is important to make time for God first in the morning. And I do emphasize the word "first"! For aren't we to give him everything first? Aren't we to love Him wholeheartedly, giving Him our first fruits? Our first praise? Our first thoughts? Our first cares? Should we not be thankful first to The Light as He introduces a new day?

J.B. Phillips puts it this way, "Let us be Christ's (wo)man from head to foot." He meant that we should put Christ on like we would put on our clothes every day. You wouldn't walk out into the world naked would you? (Please, please say no. Ha ha.) So, why face the world spiritually naked every day? Rather arm yourself with the Master's truths and let Him be the first part of how you begin each new day. (You know, the day that he made for you to REJOICE and BE GLAD?!!!).

WOO HOO! THIS IS THE DAY, sweet friends!!! He has given you another day to worship the blessed Savior! So start early and receive the unmatched blessing of SEEKING HIM FIRST with all your heart, soul and mind! Look to Jesus to teach you about His Kingdom. Learn how to be righteous as you follow after His ways! Let's give God back His rightful place in our hearts and make Him the priority in every day's routine. Let's make Jesus our comfortable commonplace. Let's rely on Him first before running to all other distractions that demand our attention. Before everything else, let's love God first!

Jesus' example reigns true. For indeed, the way to insure a good day is to start it out right with God... and nothing in life could be more right than loving our Redeemer FIRST each and every morning (... and sipping a yummy cup of Anderson coffee too. Wink!) Great is His faithfulness!

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

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All articles and content posted to this website are protected by the copyright laws of the United States (17 U.S.C. 101 et seq.) and similar laws in other countries. No part of this website may be used in whole or in part without prior written consent of Victoria Anderson.